Gimme Shelter
by Chasswozzler
Summary: Grace shows up in Luke's bedroom in the middle of the night in need of shelter. She finds comfort and...something more. (Bad summary. Sorry)
1. Default Chapter

**Title:** Gimme Shelter

**Rating:** Pg-13 I guess (Although it might have to be raised in later chapters, we'll see)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Nothing! Except maybe some pocket lint, and a piece of string and ooh a shiny penny! The title comes from a Rolling Stones song.

**Spoilers:** A few things for 1st season and 2nd season up to "No Future". They're all minor and pretty general though. Blink and you'll miss them.

**Summary:** Grace shows up in Luke's room in the middle of the night looking for shelter. Shefinds comfort and...something more. (Bad summary, sorry.)

**Notes:** This is my first JoA fic and the first thing I've written in three years. Not sure I've got the characters right, but I gave it a bash anyway. Please review and don't worry about being gentle, I don't mind if it gets rough.

Luke woke to the sound of someone opening his bedroom window. Jerking awake, he gave a startled yelp and reached blindly for his bedside lamp.

"Relax Girardi," he heard Grace whisper, "it's only me dude."

Fumbling for his glasses, Luke peered into his darkened room. He could just make out Grace's dark shape as she pulled herself through the window.

It never ceased to amaze Luke how far their relationship had come in the past few months. There had been a time, not so long ago, when it seemed that Grace was more likely to beat him up then speak to him. The idea that the Great Rebel and the Monumental Geek might end up as a couple was absurd, laughable. Yet events had conspired to change all that and slowly the two had been drawn together. It had been difficult at first, _she_ had been difficult. Any sort of "typical" relationship scenario was unacceptable to Grace, so quite often Luke had found himself at a loss as to how he should act or what he should say. She made up rules, broke them, made them up again and seemed to follow a logic all her own. All the while she maintained an air of seeming indifference and even hostility towards him. Most guys would have given up early, went on to someone more traditional, simpler. Luke however hadn't been interested in traditional or simple, he'd wanted Grace and slowly, through persistence and patience he'd worked his way into her life and, although she could barely admit it to herself, her heart. They were openly a couple now, no confidentiality contracts or sneaking around. That didn't mean that they held hands in the hallways or made out in public (Grace would probably join the Young Fascist League before that happened) but they didn't go out of their way to hide their feelings for each other.

Still, despite all the changes in their relationship, it was rather odd for Grace to be sneaking into his bedroom at 2:00AM.

"Grace, what are you doing here? Is everything OK?"

There was no response from the dark shape standing in the corner by the window. Just the sound of the rain as it beat down on the roof. Turning on the bedside lamp, Luke blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked questioningly at the girl in his room.

"Grace, what..." Luke's voice trailed off as he took in the sight before him. Grace stood there, soaked from head to foot. Her blonde hair was plastered to her head and water seemed to drip from every part of her. Pulling her leather jacket tighter around herself, Grace took a couple of steps further into the room.

"I was just out for a walk. Thought I'd drop by." Her voice shook slightly, but Luke could hear the defiance in it, daring him to contradict her.

"A walk in the rain...sounds refreshing." Luke had learned that one had to approach things carefully when Grace was in this type of mood. In his head, he quickly went through all the possibilities of why she might have come to see him. His scientific mind posited numerous possible theories to explain her behaviour then discarded each one as not fitting the situation. She wouldn't be here to study Physics and if she wanted to see Joan, then she would have gone to another window. The possibility that she might have snuck into his room to perhaps extend their make-out time flashed into his mind, causing his pulse to quicken, but he almost immediately discarded it. Just looking at her, he knew something was wrong.

"Rain can be refreshing," he said, trying to fill the silence by drawing upon the comfort of science, "unless of course it's acid rain. Actually, the instances of acid rain at this particular elevation..."

"Cut it out Geek." Grace said with a ghost of a smile, "I'm not up for a lecture from your encyclopaedic science brain right now."

"Things aren't great at my house at the moment." she said quietly, avoiding Luke's eyes. Grace didn't speak for a few minutes, just sat in his desk chair and gazed at the floor.

Luke had guessed that her visiting him probably had something to do with her mom's drinking, but he didn't say anything. Grace had become much more open with him since she told him about her mother's problem, but it was still a dicey topic for him to raise. He found that she talked about it more easily if she was the one to bring it up. If he pushed, all of her defences would kick in and she'd probably end up getting angry and leaving. Luke did not want her rushing off into the rainy night, so he slowly walked over to her and sat beside her on his desk. Taking her hand in his, he waited for her to go on.

Grace glanced down at their joined hands and let herself breathe regularly for what seemed like the first time in hours. She hadn't known where she was going when she ran out of her house tonight, she just knew that she needed to get out, to put as much distance as possible between herself and her home life. She had walked for what seemed like hours, not even noticing the cold or the rain, raging inside about her mother's drinking and the way her father avoided dealing with it. Grace just didn't think she could stand it anymore, going on as if this was the only way things could be, that her role was to sit there and watch her mother drink herself to death, tolerate her drunken rambling and rages and clean up her messes. She'd been a bit surprised when she'd looked up from her thoughts to find that she had walked to the Girardi house. Without even thinking about it she'd scaled the drainpipe and pulled herself through Luke's window.

Sitting beside him now, Grace felt soothed just by his presence. Yet, she found it hard to begin. She had told this boy more about her life than anyone, let him know secrets that she had sworn she would keep forever. Against all of her better judgement she had trusted him and in return he had shown her that she was not alone. Despite all this however, it was always a struggle for her to speak about certain things. Old habits die hard and Grace had spent a long time relying on noone but herself, ensuring she could never be betrayed. Taking a deep breath and focussing on the warmth of her hand in his, Grace let Luke a little further into her life.

"I just didn't want to deal with it tonight, you know? The screaming, the crying, the eventual passing out that you dread and secretly wish would happen sooner." Grace's voice hardened as she spoke the last few words. "I just figured screw it, let my Dad deal with it for once. The Rabbi can clean things up." Grace let go of Luke's hand and stood. The anger in her seemed to be ramping up and Luke realized that she was going to let fly with some pent-up rage.

"She spends her time drunk and he spends it out of the house so he doesn't have to see it! I'm supposed to take care of things, take care of her. It's supposed to be the other way around! He just stays away while I have to clean up puke and broken glass and have her laughing stupidly one minute and screaming at me the next!"

Grace's voice was growing louder by the second and Luke was glad that his parents were out of town for the weekend. Still, she was getting more and more agitated and he wanted to calm her, comfort her

"Grace," Luke soothed, "I know it can be tough..."

"You don't know anything!" she hissed, suddenly turning on him. "You're family is like the Cleavers or something! After you take your second ambulance trip with your comatose mother, her shirt covered in vomit and stinking of gin, then you can tell me you know how tough it is!"

Spinning on her heel, Grace made a move towards the window, looking to escape. Not wanting her to leave in this state, Luke moved behind her, encircling her with his arms. Taken by surprise, she struggled slightly against his embrace, but soon relented, her head dropping forward.

"Sometimes I just..." her words trailed off as she turned and put her arms around him, whispering into his neck, "Sometimes I just despise them. Both of them. But...they're my parents." Hating how much she needed his comfort, but needing it all the same, Grace clung tightly to Luke. Feeling his compassion and his acceptance, she slowly let herself relax into him. They stood like that for several minutes, holding each other and listening to the rain hit the roof.

"Well," said Luke, finally breaking the silence, "You really can't walk home in this weather and it's not going to stop anytime soon. The storm is supposed to go on all night. According to the weather channel a low pressure..." Luke stopped when he heard a muffled, "Freak.." come from the mass of blond hair below his chin. "Sorry," he apologized, "habit. Maybe we can call you a cab. It shouldn't cost much."

"No..."

"Or maybe I can get Kevin to drive you. He might be pissed that I woke him up but.."

"No," she interrupted him, "I don't want to go home." There was a quiet resolve in her voice, a small reminder of the strength that Luke admired so much about her. Slowly lifting her head, Grace looked directly into Luke's eyes for the first time since she'd climbed through the window, "I don't want to be alone tonight."

Standing in the circle of his arms, Grace could feel Luke's heart begin to beat a bit faster at her words.

"Well...uh...okay. That's a good idea...sensible." Slightly flustered Luke stepped back a bit from Grace and motioned vaguely to the space around him. "Plenty of room here in my..uh..room." His eyes darted quickly between Grace and his bed. "It can be a sleep over."Luke's voice cracked slightly on the last few words and a blush started to creep across his face.

Despite the prior events of the evening, Grace found herself enjoying his sudden discomfort. She had come here in need of comfort and solace, knowing that Luke could provide it. Still, she hated exposing any vulnerabilities, even to him. Being strong, maintaining an impenetrable facade and keeping control of a situation was how she'd survived this far and she found it unsettling how easily she could lose that control around Luke, how quickly her facade could crumble. Seeing him flustered and unsure however, like he'd been so often during their "courtship" as he called it, put her back on a surer footing, allowing her to regain some of her composure.

"Cool it Geek Boy." she said, as a small smile quirked her lips, "I just need a place to crash. I'll be sleeping in your bed, but that's it. You get any funny ideas and you'll be going to school in a body cast. Got it?" Grace poked Luke lightly in the chest to punctuate her point.

"Got it." Luke assured her. "No funny stuff. Nothing even slightly amusing. Wasn't even thinking it." The numerous different rather heated scenarios running through his brain at the moment gave the lie to that statement, but Grace couldn't see what was in his head. Good thing too, because Luke knew if she could, he'd probably end up in a _body bag _instead of a body cast.

Luke's train of thought was interrupted as Grace shivered in her wet clothes. All thoughts of what might happen were quickly replaced by concern when he realized that she must be freezing. "Here," he said as he grabbed a towel off the hook on the back of his door, "Dry off with this. I'll get some dry clothes for you to wear. I think Joan left some clean stuff in the laundry room."

Grace accepted the towel with a smile and began to peel off her leather jacket. Luke moved towards his bedroom door. He had just touched the doorknob when Grace spoke.

"Luke..."

He could probably count on his hands the number of times she'd actually used his name and hearing her say it now, Luke thought he'd never liked his name better. Taking a few steps back into the room, he waited for her to continue.

"Thanks for..you know...everything." Quickly stepping forward Grace placed a lingering kiss on Luke's lips. Opening his eyes, he looked down at her and she quietly repeated, "Everything."

Smiling, Luke brushed a wet strand of hair off of her forehead and once again turned to leave.

"Girardi," she called out, "You better not come back with anything pink or fluffy. Remember..body cast!"

"Wouldn't dream of it." he laughed as he walked out of the room. "I might be a geek, but I'm not suicidal."

TBC

**A/N:** Good? Bad? Give me your opinion and feel free to slap me around if you think I need it. Just try and make it constructive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Gimme Shelter

**Notes:** Thanks for the feedback. Here we go with Chapter 2.

Luke crept quietly up the stairs, careful not to make too much noise. His parents might be out of town on a "romantic getaway" weekend, but that still left Kevin and Joan in the house and he had no desire to explain Grace's presence in his bedroom to them. He'd spent the last ten minutes in the laundry room sorting through Joan's clothes, looking for something suitable for Grace to borrow. That had only actually taken about five minutes. He'd spent the rest of the time trying to get a handle on things. Luke was nothing if not rational and he tried to look at the situation logically. Unfortunately for him, whenever Grace was involved his logic tended to get a bit, well, illogical. There were a million different thoughts and feelings racing through his head and Luke needed to get them under control and decide on a course of action. That was the way to do it, look at all the variables, come up with a theory, then follow through on it. Easy thing when you were talking about gravity or chemical compounds, a bit different when it came to Grace.

As he reached the top of the stairs Luke paused. He looked down at the sweat top and shorts that he'd found. Neither one pink nor fluffy, although the top was a shade of purple that might offend. He'd have to risk it. The only other shirt of Joan's that was clean had kittens on it and Luke knew better then to tempt fate by expecting Grace to put _that _on.

In the laundry room Luke had run the gamut of emotions, anger at Grace's mother, disgust with Grace's father's inaction, concern and compassion for his girlfriend and a certain warmth at the idea that she sought him out as a place of refuge. Luke knew that it was in that capacity that he could best help her. She didn't need him to be angry for her or to try and get her to talk about it, what she needed was just for him to be there for her and remind her that she wasn't alone anymore.

Of course, there were other factors in this equation at the moment, however he decided to try his best to ignore them. He wouldn't be human, let alone a teenage boy, if he didn't think about the fact that he had his girlfriend alone in his room in the middle of the night with his parents seventy miles away, but that wasn't why she'd come over tonight and Luke was not going to let his hormones get in the way of his concern for Grace.

"Be cool, " he thought to himself as he started to open his bedroom door. "Just relax, act normal and follow her lead. She needs you to be calm and collected so that's what you'll be. That's the plan." Quietly pushing the door Luke started to speak, but as the door opened he caught sight of Grace and his breathe caught in his throat.

She stood over by his desk, poking around at the various objects that he kept as decorations. Picking up a geode, one very similar to the one he'd given her, a small smile played on her lips as she examined it. Her wet clothes hung off a chair and Luke could see her jacket, pants, shirt and socks, as well as a couple of satiny looking items that, out of self-defence, his mind refused to identify. She had obviously gotten impatient waiting for Luke to bring her something to wear, so she had simply put on some of his clothes. There she stood in one of his polo shirts. The shirt was too long for her and hung just below mid-thigh, almost covering what appeared to be a pair of his boxers. Luke took in the sight of her bare legs, how comfortable she looked in his shirt and how the soft light of the lamp played on her tousled blonde hair. He stood dumbstruck in the doorway, unable to do anything but stare as she turned towards him.

"Oh shit!" Luke thought to himself, "There goes the plan."

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As soon as Luke had shut the door and gone in search of clothes Grace let out a long breath. It had been getting easier for her to let her guard down around her boyfriend, but she still found it tough to let herself go completely. A part of her always worried that should she allow him to see too much of herself, then he might turn away from her and she would be alone in the dark once again. The thought of not having Luke to come to actually caused her chest to tighten and started a panicked feeling in her stomach. Cursing what she saw as a sign of weakness, Grace put those fears out of her mind and refocused her thoughts on the here-and-now.

She shivered once again, more violently then before and decided she had to get out of these wet clothes. With quick, efficient movements Grace slid her wet jeans down her legs and stepped out of them, peeling off her socks as she did so. Hanging the wet items over the back of the desk chair, she removed her shirt and placed it beside her pants. Her bra and panties were quickly added to the pile of wet clothes. As Grace began to dry her hair with the towel Luke had given her, she wore a mischievous grin at the thought that she was standing completely naked in her boyfriend's room. That grin quickly faded however when she realized that, considering the house wasn't empty, anyone might come through the door. Luke finding her naked would be bad, but not entirely terrible. His brother on the other hand, or Joan for that matter, would be a disaster. Grace didn't even want to think about how that conversation might unfold.

Moving over to the chest of drawers, she began opening each one, looking for something suitable. Pulling out a pair of boxer shorts, she cast a critical eye on them. They were practically new. The label said Calvin Klein and the boxers were of a rather short and snug variety that she'd seen in quite a few billboard ads. These were a bit more stylish then she would have expected from the Geek. Grace flushed at the thought of Luke in nothing but these snug shorts. Looking through the rest of the drawer, she noted that all the other pairs were of a much plainer variety and obviously older. As she pulled on the boxers she was struck by why Luke would have recently bought nicer underwear: he was worried about someone, namely her, seeing them.

"Getting a bit sure of himself." Grace muttered, "That body cast is looking more and more like a possibility."

Shaking her head, Grace began looking for a shirt to wear, however the mental image of Luke in his new boxers refused to leave her head.

Grabbing a polo shirt from the bottom drawer she pulled it on and adjusted it. The shirt was obviously too big for her, but it was dry and warm. Pulling the collar up to her face she breathed in the traces of Luke's scent. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the smell of him and relished how safe it made her feel.

Feeling much more comfortable and relaxed, Grace cast her eye to the room. She was never in here without Luke, so it was rather nice to be able to look around. His desk was cluttered, in an orderly way, with different objects and decorations. There was an extremely complex-looking calculator and a well-worn copy of Hawking's "A Brief History of Time". There was also a framed picture from his birthday a few weeks before, of her and Luke flying his kite. Grace guessed that one of his family members must have taken the picture while she hadn't noticed. She smiled at the memory and decided that she would have to find a way to get a copy without making it seem mushy or girly or anything. If she couldn't come up with a way to do that, she'd just steal this one.

Next to the picture frame there was a geode very similar to the one Luke had given her. Grace picked up the rock and slowly ran her hands over its surface. She remembered when he'd given the other geode to her. She didn't tell him at the time, but it had affected her more than she cared to admit. It wasn't the gift itself that was so endearing, to Grace a rock was a rock, but the fact that he was willing to put himself out on a limb like that had gained him a new respect in her eyes. She liked that he had done something so bold. Now, standing in his room with this geode in her hand she was engulfed in a strong desire to hold Luke close, to feel his arms around her and his lips on hers.

Hearing the door open Grace placed the rock back on the desk and turned to face Luke with an expectant smile on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Gimme Shelter

**Rating:** PG-13 (At least I figure it is. If you think it should be higher email me and maybe I'll

change it, but it meets the guidelines)

**Notes:** This one caused me some trouble. Hopefully I got it right. I didn't read enough romance novels as a child so I'm not used to the tone of these types of scenes. Still I didn't use the phrase "heaving bosom" so I think I deserve points for that. As usual, feedback is highly appreciated and thanks to all those who've encouraged me this far.

Chapter 3

Luke stood in the doorway to his bedroom staring at Grace as she smiled at him. Standing there, taking in the sight of her, he was suddenly nervous about walking into his own room.

"I see you found something to wear." he said weakly. "Guess you don't need these." Willing his legs to move, Luke walked over and laid the clothes he had found on the bed.

"Got tired of waiting Girardi. Decided to save myself the trouble of getting pneumonia and just grab something of yours. Okay with you?" Grace smiled, taking the edge off her words. "I searched the drawers but couldn't find a pair of those," she said, pointing to his loose, drawstring pyjama pants. "So I had to improvise. By the way, love the boxers with the little spaceships on them. Very manly."

Luke blushed furiously. "They're old. I don't even wear those anymore! My mom got them for me and...and..uh..." Luke's voice trailed off, unable to find an appropriate excuse for his Star Trek underwear.

"Don't worry Mr. Spock., your secret is safe with me." Moving towards him, Grace pointed a warning finger at her boyfriend, "Just don't ever let me catch you wearing them. I can only be expected to accept so much."

Laughing, Luke put his arms around her. "Thanks for being so tolerant." Leaning in for a kiss, he suddenly stopped and looked at her with an odd glint in his eye. "Grace, how are you going to be able to tell what boxers I'm wearing?"

It was now Grace's turn to blush. "Shut up Girardi." Grabbing him by his shirt, Grace pulled Luke's face down to hers and placed a searing kiss on his lips. "Just shut up." Needing no more instructions, Luke tightened his arms around her, closed his eyes and savoured the feel of her lips on his.

The kiss had begun somewhat tentatively and sweet, but soon deepened as the two young people lost themselves in the moment. Grace felt Luke's tongue slide across her lips and willingly opened her mouth to accept it. Snaking one hand around the back of his neck and grabbing his hip with other, she pulled him closer, bringing their bodies flush against each other. Luke let out a small moan at the contact and increased the intensity of his kiss. Needing air, but unwilling to stop, Grace began to cover Luke's mouth with small, frantic kisses, stopping only occasionally to nip at his lower lip with her teeth.

Moving his hands down to her hips, Luke gently pushed Grace backwards, up against his desk. Grabbing tightly, he lifted her onto it without breaking contact with her lips. Pulling back slightly, he gazed into her eyes and saw the same intense look of hunger that he knew must be in his. With a smile, he began a new assault on her mouth, relishing the small sounds of pleasure coming from her.

For her part, Grace could not seem to get close enough to Luke. He was pressed tightly against her, but she still wanted him closer. Sitting on the edge of the desk, she wrapped her legs around him and she let her hands roam over his back, feeling the contours of his muscles through his shirt. Letting him trail kisses up and down her neck, she thoroughly enjoyed how forward and confident he was being. Still, as much as she liked having him take the lead for once, Grace wasn't about to just become some docile girl, happy to let her boyfriend be in control. Pushing him back, she grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and began pulling it up. A bit shocked, Luke dutifully raised his arms and in one quick motion Grace had the shirt over his head and falling to the ground. She moved her palms over his chest, enjoying the feel of his body and the desire in his eyes. Reaching up, she tangled her hand in the hair at the back of his head and pulled slightly, forcing his head back and to the side. Using her other hand on his shoulder as leverage, Grace pulled herself a bit straighter so she could look into his eyes. A bit surprised by her rough actions, Luke waited to see what she was doing. Looking into her eyes, he saw a predatory gleam that sent his pulse racing even faster. With a smile full of mischief and promise, Grace dipped her head and slowly brought her tongue up the side of Luke's neck, tasting the salt of his skin. Luke's body seemed to shudder at the contact and his hands gripped reflexively at her sides. Coming to his ear, Grace let out a playful growl and lightly bit his earlobe.

"Grace..." Luke's tone was somewhere between reverence and a plea. Pulling back to face him, she wore a playful, innocent expression, as if to ask "Was _I _doing something?" In response, Luke took Grace's face in both hands and kissed her with such intensity that her world spun and she knew nothing except the feel of his lips and the heat of his body against hers.

Finally breaking the kiss out of sheer need for oxygen, the two lovers smiled at each other, while trying to regain their breath and their balance. Sitting back a bit on the desk, Grace leaned against the wall. She gazed at Luke as he stood there between her legs, feeling rather proud that she was the cause of the slightly dazed, yet happy look on his face.

"Well...'Luke said, smiling at his girlfriend, "that was...I mean..." Seemingly unable to form a coherent thought, Luke put aside all aspirations towards poetry and just uttered a soft but heartfelt, "Wow!"

"I know. I'm kinda surprised we did so well outside the Biology storage closet. Figured that maybe it was all that science stuff that made you so hot." Grace laughed at Luke's look of mild outrage. "Guess now we know it's me." Reaching out she gave his left nipple a small pinch.

"Ouch!" Luke shied back a bit from her pinching fingers. "Don't be so sure of yourself. I have scientific items all over this room. Hell, the desk you're sitting on holds not only a geode, but several complex physics texts. Maybe it was them."

"I can't believe you're actually arguing Joan's point: you think science is sex!" Chuckling, Grace took his hands in hers. "Besides, I think we knocked all that crap onto the floor anyways."

Looking at the scattered items on the ground, Lukw started to reach down to pick them up. Holding firmly to his hands Grace prevented him from moving.

"Stay right where you are Geek. Leave 'em on the floor." she ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" Luke intoned with a small head bow. "So that's how things work in this relationship? You give the order and I'm just supposed to obey? For an anarchist, you don't seem to mind unequal power as long as you're wielding it."

"Damn straight!"

"Speaking of unequal,' Luke said, a sly smile creeping across his face, "Here I stand half-naked while you're still fully clothed. I think we might just have to correct this disparity..."

"Don't even think about it Freak. Besides, did you notice that I am only wearing boxers with this shirt? I'm practically half-naked too!"

"Oh dear, " said Luke, gently running his fingertips along the sides of Grace's bare thighs, "Have I been ignoring your legs? I'll have to rectify that situation." Before she could protest, Luke dropped down and began to plant soft kisses on her knees. Grace tried to stifle an embarrassingly girly giggle as Luke peppered her knees with light kisses. The giggles stopped however and her breath caught in her throat as Luke moved his ministrations a little further up her thigh. Tangling her hands in his hair, she let out a low moan as his kissed an nibbled the inside of her leg. Luke grinned to himself as he heard Grace's moan and felt her hands run through his hair. Slowly, he began to trace designs on her thigh using his tongue, designs that were slowly moving up her leg..

"Luke!"Grace could barely gasp out his name as his lips came in contact with the edge of her boxers.

Suddenly, the ringing of a phone disturbed the activities of the two teenagers. Startled, Luke jerked his head and banged it on the side of the desk.

"Shit!" said Luke, grabbing his head.

"Shit!" said Grace, mad at being interrupted.

The moment broken, the pair looked at each other, suddenly a bit embarrassed about where their actions had been heading. "It's my cell phone." muttered Grace, "The Rabbi got me a new one after the last one suffered a malfunction. Apparently locking it in a milk fridge for two weeks invalidated the warranty."

"You should answer it." Luke said, as he moved to sit on his bed, "It's probably your dad, worried about where you went. If he can't reach you...well, we don't want him calling the police."

"True." Grace commented as she rooted through her jacket pockets. Finding her phone she flipped it open and put to her ear.

"Hey dad I know..." Grace paused mid-sentence, a shadow crossing her face, "Mom...hi."

TBC

**A/N:** Good? Bad? Give me your opinion and feel free to slap me around if you think I need it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Gimme Shelter

**Notes: **Thanks for all the feedback, I'm lovin' it! Hope you like this chapter, although it's a bitdifferent from the others. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Grace's whole body seemed to tense as she listened to her mother's voice over the phone. Gripping the cell tightly, she wore a look of concentration, as if she was having difficulty understanding what she was hearing.

"Mom...mom..."Grace let out an exasperated sigh and tried to interrupt her mother's flood of words, "Mom, listen to me...argh!"

Luke watched from his seat on the bed as Grace impatiently waited for her mother to let her get a word in edgewise. He couldn't hear what was being said on the other end of the phone, but from the look on Grace's face he doubted that it was particularly noteworthy or even coherent. Considering that the woman had already been pretty sozzled when Grace had stormed out of her house a few hours previously, he couldn't imagine how far gone she must be now.

"No mom, I don't remember what song Aunt Esther sang at her wedding...well I don't...possibly because I was four years old at the time!" Rolling her eyes, Grace just shook her head as she tried to make progress in the conversation. "That sounds like a good idea. Just lie down in front of the TV and watch the old movies...no, I don't wish Johnny Carson was still on."

Grace slumped against the desk, waiting for her mother to wind down enough that she could end the phone call without too much hassle.

From an outsider's point-of-view, Luke knew that this one-sided conversation might seem kind of funny, but he wasn't even tempted to crack a smile. The call had been going on for over five minutes already and Grace's mom had not yet bothered to ask where she was. Her daughter runs out into the pouring rain in the dead of night, doesn't come back for hours, and this woman doesn't even ask so much as a token, "Are you alright?" Moving over to his girlfriend, Luke put a comforting hand on her shoulder, letting her know he was there for her.

"Is dad there?" Grace asked, although from her expression Luke guessed she already knew the answer. "Of course...when will he...of course."

Giving her shoulder a supportive squeeze, Luke was surprised when she shrugged it off and moved across the room. Staring after her, it became obvious to him that she was retreating into her usual, standoffish behaviour. When they were alone together Grace would often let down some of the emotional barriers she used as protection. Tonight especially, she had allowed him to see her vulnerable side. She had felt safe enough, here in his room, to come out from behind the high walls she had placed around her heart. However, the drunken slur of her mother's voice had forced her to retreat back into her lonely fortress. Just watching her face, Luke could see Grace closing down, wrapping herself in a protective layer of anger and cynicism.

"No, I won't be coming home tonight...I'm staying at Joan's house." Grace's mother, after a good ten minutes, had finally come around to the subject of her daughter's whereabouts. "Yes mom, Joan...well, of course he's here, he is her brother." Luke guessed that his presence in the same house where Grace would be sleeping had made it through Mrs. Polonsky's alcoholic haze.

"No mom...no. That's not...Mom!" Grace's previously calm tone suddenly turned shocked. She opened her mouth to speak, but seemed momentarily at a loss for words. Her mother, on the other hand, did not seem to share that problem. From where he was standing across the room, Luke could hear the woman yelling. Unable to pick out the words themselves, he could only guess as to what exactly it was she was screaming at her daughter.

"How can...stop it mom...stop...please, you..." Grace was struggling vainly to get her mother to hear her and Luke realized she was barely keeping control of herself. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let out a breath. "Fine!" she said forcefully into the phone and proceeded to flip it closed, cutting off her mother's still ranting voice. "Fine." she muttered to herself. Turning to Luke with a grim smile on her face she said "Well now, where were we?"

"What happened? What did she say?" Concern lacing his voice, Luke moved across the room to stand next to Grace. "Grace, talk to me."

"She told me to have a good night's sleep and to be sure that I brush my teeth and say my prayers before I go to bed." Switching off the phone, she tossed it carelessly in the corner of the room.

"Grace..."

"Leave it Girardi, I don't feel like sharing right now."

"Talk to me Grace."

Ignoring the pleading tone in his voice, Grace shook her head. "No, I'm going to save this tidbit for my next Alateen meeting. I want to have something juicy to say." Giving a mirthless laugh, she continued, " I hate it when the other kids have better sob stories then I do."

Figuring he'd take a different tack, Luke asked where her father was tonight. "Mom said he called and told her he was working late so he'd just sleep at the synagogu,e. He keeps a cot in his office he's there so much " Grace gave another short joyless chuckle, "Typical."

"Oh Grace..." Luke reached out to touch her face, but she stopped him.

"Listen to me. I don't want your pity! I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to think about it. I just want to pretend that the pathetic drunk never even called!" The last few words were spoken with such vehemence that Luke almost took a step back. Opening his mouth to reason with her, Grace blocked his words by placing a forceful kiss on his mouth. "Not another word!" she said, then proceeded to continue kissing him in the same determined manner, as if trying to cut off anything more he might say.

Before he could even attempt to speak again, Grace roughly pushed him backwards onto his bed. She was quickly on top of him, kissing him with a kind of desperation. Not knowing exactly what to do, Luke brought his hands up to her shoulders. The muscles of her neck and shoulders were tense under his fingers, like knotted steel cables. Pushing her back slightly, he tried to reason with her. "Grace, hold on." Pulling out of his grasp, she straddled him on the bed.

"What's the matter?" she asked, her voice full of confrontation, "Isn't this what you want?" Grabbing the hem of her shirt, Grace lifted it over her head and threw it to the floor. Pausing for just a moment, Grace looked down at Luke as she straddled him completely topless. " I know what you want from me." Her voice cold and low, she reached down and grabbed the drawstring of his pyjama pants, "Or do you think I'm not good enough for you?"

"Grace, enough!" Grabbing her wrists, Luke pushed her sideways onto the bed, allowing himself to escape from under her. "Enough!"

The two of them lay there on the bed silently for a few seconds, their heavy breathing the only sounds in the room. Turning to look at her, Luke watched as Grace lay on her side, facing away from him. He could hear her softly weeping. Reaching out, he pulled her to him, spooning behind her. Gently stroking her hair, he let her cry.

"She gets like that sometimes." Grace's voice was small. Luke had never heard her sound like this before. "She gets an idea in her drunken head and starts screaming. The things she says...I'm not sure you can imagine. She can go on forever. In the morning she doesn't remember what she said, or at least never admits to remembering, so she never apologizes. It's just buried until the next time." Taking his hand from her hair, she pulled it around her, as if using his body to shield her own. "When I told her I was sleeping here, she called me so many names. She said that I was a slut and a tramp. That I probably just give it away to anybody who wants a piece." A sob wracked her body, causing Luke to hold her tighter. "She said...she said that she had always been ashamed of me, but now that she realized I was a whore as well as a disappointment, my failure as a daughter was complete." Grace continued to cry, her body shuddering against Luke's frame.

Luke's heart nearly broke at the sound of pain and hopelessness in her voice. "You know that's not true," he whispered in her ear. "This is about her problem, not anything that you did." Turning her to face him, Luke made sure that he was looking directly into her eyes. "Do not listen to the deluded rambling of an angry drunk, even if she is your mother. You, Grace Polk, are the single most amazing person I have ever met. You are strong, smart, beautiful and a large portion of the Arcadia High student body cowers at your very name. I might not be able to do anything to change what goes on at your house, but I'll be damned if I let you think you are anything less then you are." Placing a tender and heartfelt kiss on her lips, Luke laid back and brought Grace close, so that her head was resting on his chest and her body almost covered his. Using his other hand, he pulled the blanket over them. Exhausted, Grace closed her eyes and let herself melt into Luke's embrace.

As she was drifting off, Grace felt Luke's thumb caress her cheek and just before sleep claimed her completely she heard the whispered words, "I love you Grace."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Gimme Shelter

**Notes:** Not exactly happy with this chapter, but no amount of reworking seems to appease me. Originally, the love scene was much more, shall we say "descriptive", but after reading it I realized I would have to raise the rating. I figured that wasn't fair this late in the game. I'll save it for another story. Hope you enjoy and if anyone has ideas of how to make this scene better PLEASE tell me!

Chapter 5

Grace's eyes slowly opened to the sight of sunlight filtering through the bedroom window. Not yet ready to accept that it was morning, she closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into the warmth that surrounded her. Pressing herself closer to Luke, she could feel the contours of his body as his sleeping form spooned her. Relishing the feel of his body next to hers and his arms around her, Grace had never felt so safe, so loved and so...naked? Realizing that she was clad only in a pair of boxers, Grace resisted the urge to become embarrassed. Pausing to take stock of the situation, she found that she wasn't actually embarrassed at all. She quite enjoyed the feel of her bare skin against Luke's, his chest pressed to her back, his face nuzzled against her neck and his pyjama clad legs entwined with her bare ones. In fact, she thought sleepily, there was only one thing that she found even slightly uncomfortable. There seemed to be something stuck between her and Luke, something hard that was pressing against her...Grace's eyes flew open as her sleep-addled brain finally identified what exactly the thing was, and _whose_ thing it was. With a blush that spread over much of her upper body, Grace extricated herself from Luke's embrace, careful not to wake him.

"So," she muttered to herself as she rose quietly from the bed, "That's what they mean when they talk about 'Morning Glory'. " Shifting the covers to ensure that they covered Luke's lower half, Grace tried not to stare at the way the blanket seemed to tent around his mid-section.

Moving over to the window, she peered outside at the shining sun. The rain had stopped a few hours earlier and only puddles remained of the torrential downpour from the night before. Staring idly at the scattered pools of water, Grace reflected on the events of the evening. Last night she had run from her house, seeking shelter and comfort. Here, in this room, in Luke's arms, she had found both. It had never even occurred to her to look anywhere else. She could have gone to Rove's or climbed in Joan's window, but her heart had led her here, knowing it was where she would be safe.

Going over to the bed, Grace sat next to Luke's sleeping form. Looking down at him, his hair mussed, mouth slightly open, she felt a wave of emotion wash over her. This guy, this geeky, unprepossessing guy, with his scientific theories and his sweet manner, had managed to do what no one else ever had.

Over the years, Grace had developed numerous defences to protect herself from being hurt or disappointed. With thick layers of cynicism, mistrust, anger and indifference, she had constructed an armour plating for her heart, one that she thought nothing could penetrate. Yet this boy before her had done just that. Somehow he had slipped in under her radar, side-stepped the minefields and cracked the armour. Now, staring down at him, she felt not the fear that she expected, but something else, love.

Her heart swelling with emotion, Grace whispered the phrase she hadnever thought she'd ever be able to truly say, "I love you Luke." The words sounded strange on her lips, but nothing she had ever said had sounded so right. With a smile of pure joy, Grace reached out and traced the line of Luke's jaw with her finger. "I love you." she repeated.

At her touch, Luke stirred slightly and began to speak, "...happily accept this Nobel Prize...great honour...space flight for giraffes..." Grace stifled a laugh as Luke muttered to himself, lost in his dreams.

"Giraffes in space?" she thought to herself, "He has quite the ambitions." Her reverie about the night before interrupted, Grace was left only with her realization about her feelings for Luke and a definite need to share them with him.

Wearing a mischievous smile, Grace laid down beside Luke, spooning up behind him. Sliding one arm underneath his side, she pulled him tightly to her, pressing her bare skin against his. Nuzzling into his back, she gently began to kiss and nibble at his neck and shoulder. With her other hand, she traced the contours of his chest, outlining each muscle and bone. As she continued her ministrations, Luke slowly began to awaken. As sleep left him, he became aware of Grace's lips on him and the movements of her hands. Worrying that it might all be some dream, he kept still, not wanting it to end. Moving across his chest, Grace's hand brushed his nipple making him gasp. Hearing him, Grace circled her finger around his other nipple, eliciting a sigh of pleasure. Emboldened by the sounds Luke was making, she moved her hand down his torso, feeling his muscles jump as she trailed her fingers over them. Taking a breath to steel her courage, Grace let her hand keep moving downwards, slipping under the waistband of his pyjama pants.

Suddenly fully awake, Luke's entire body tensed as he felt Grace's hand on him. "Grace.." he managed in a strangled voice, "What are..."

"Shhhhh." Grace whispered into his ear with more confidence then she felt, "Relax." Holding him tightly to her, she allowed her other hand to continue it's exploration. Luke attempted to form a coherent thought, but it was almost impossible to do so. Summoning all of his rapidly diminishing will, he placed his hand over Grace's, stilling her movements. "Wait." he said. Turning over, albeit slowly so she could remove her hand without causing damage, Luke faced Grace for the first time that morning.

"Hi," he said, gazing into her eyes, "what's...what's up?"

"Interesting choice of words," she commented playfully, "considering..." letting her words trail off, Grace glanced downward. Luke blushed and tried to stammer out some sort of response. Failing on his first two attempts, he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. Taking Grace's chin in his hand, he made sure she was looking nowhere but into his eyes. "I mean, what are you doing? I thought we covered this last night. Doing this sort of thing because of what your mom said, or because you're trying to prove something...that's not what it should be about." Luke delivered this little speech rather convincingly, especially since there were certain parts of him that were screaming for him to just shut up and go with it.

Instead of retreating, Grace leaned forward and planted a short, but intense kiss on Luke's lips. "You are definitely one of a kind Luke Girardi, noble and sweet. But, this isn't about my mother. It's not about her drinking, or my family or anything else like that." Tracing her fingers gently down the side of his face, Grace continued, "This is just about us, two people who..."faltering slightly, she looked straight into his deep blue eyes, "..two people who love each other very much."

Luke took a moment to process exactly what he had just heard. He hadn't been sure that Grace had even heard him last night when he admitted his love for her. In fact, he'd been kind of glad when he thought that she hadn't because he worried that it might be too soon for her to hear those words. Yet here she was, telling him that not only did she accept his declaration, but that she returned the feeling. A large and decidedly goofy grin spread across his face as Luke realized the full extent of Grace's admission. She loved him! Taking her face in both of his hands, Luke kissed her with all the emotion in his heart.

"I love you Grace."

"I know, and I love you...Geek."

Laughing, the two began to kiss, repeating the words to each other as their kisses grew in passion and intensity. Soon, as their lips met and their hands began exploring the sacred geography of each others' bodies, words became unnecessary. Making love in the soft morning sunlight, Grace and Luke expressed their love in every touch, every moan and every kiss.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I think _you_ are going to have to go and get us something to eat."

Grace smiled contentedly as she lay on the bed, her head propped up against the headboard. "Did you hear me?" she asked. Luke lay sprawled on his front, his head resting on her stomach. "Sure, sure," he answered sleepily, "In a minute." Closing his eyes, he gave a happy sigh and began to drift off.

"Hey!" Grace said, tapping on his head, "Don't start thinking that this changes anything. You might have done a passable job at this particular activity, but remember who gives the orders in this relationship. Food, now!"

"Passable?" Luke looked up at her with a small smirk, "From the noises you were making, I believe I did more than a 'passable' job."

"Well, maybe. Although you were making some interesting sounds yourself."

Crawling up to her, Luke placed a kiss on Grace's lips, "I cannot and will not dispute that."

The two lay there in comfortable silence for a few moments, each lost in the memory.

"Luke," Grace queried after a bit, "Not that it didn't come in handy, but would you mind telling me why you had a jumbo box of condoms under your bed?" Luke wore a sheepish expression as looked at his girlfriend, "Friedman. He gave them to me for my birthday. I won't repeat his exact sentiments, but he thought I might find a use for them."

"Oh really?" Grace smiled evilly, "I'm gonna kill that little slime...right after I thank him."

"Well, like you said, they did come in handy. Besides..." it was Luke's turn for a mischievous smile, "There's a whole box for us to go through..." Leaning forward he placed a searing kiss on her lips. Returning it with equal passion, Grace pulled back and laughed, "Sounds like a plan Girardi."

Suddenly, the two were distracted from their activities as they heard noises coming from downstairs, noises that sounded uncannily like the front door being unlocked and opened. Grace and Luke stared at one another in horror as they heard a shout from the front of the house,

"Kids, we're home!"

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Gimme Shelter

Chapter 6

"Kids, we're home"

Those three words, called so cheerily from the front door, sent Grace and Luke into a panic.

"Shit!" cried Grace in a hoarse whisper. "You said they weren't coming back until tonight!" Springing out of bed, she rushed as quietly as she could across the room to where she'd hung her clothes the night before. "They cannot find us like this! You're going to have to distract them Luke! Luke?" Grace turned to her boyfriend when she didn't hear him answer.

Luke was just sitting there in his bed, eyes wide and mouth agape, a look of frozen terror on his face. Picking a physics book off his desk, Grace tossed it lightly at him. "Snap out of it Freak Boy!" The book bounced lightly of Luke's shoulder, jarring him back to reality.

"Oh man! Oh man! We have to get out of here! We're naked!" Luke jumped out of bed and began looking wildly about the room, as if searching for a trapdoor or a secret tunnel to escape through.

Grace, although mortified at the thought of being discovered by Luke's parents, was able to remain much calmer. She had been skipping classes and avoiding authority figures a lot longer then Luke. This might be an entirely new situation for her, but it wasn't without some precedents. "Cool it, Luke." she ordered as she pulled on her panties, "You can't go anywhere, you live here. They expect _you _to be here." she pointed out. "It'll be fine. Don't panic."

Turning a pair of clearly panicked eyes towards her, Luke needed reassurance, "Really?"

Deciding that a calm Luke would be more useful then a basket case, Grace spared a few precious seconds to walk over to him and put her hands on his shoulder. "Really." she said, kissing him quickly. "Now, use that big squishy brain of yours and figure out a way to get me the hell out of here without being seen." Looking into his eyes and seeing that the "deer-in-the-headlights" look had retreated, Grace went back to getting dressed. "Also, you might want to put something on...not that I'm not enjoying the view."

Luke grabbed his pyjama pants and hurriedly put them on. "Alright," he said, almost to himself, "A plan, we need a plan."

"Where is everybody?" Helen's voice, obviously coming from the kitchen now, was a sharp reminder that time was growing short.

Grace buttoned her slightly damp jeans and pulled her shirt over her head. Grabbing her bra, she stuffed it into the pocket of her leather jacket. "So, what do we do?" she asked as she pulled on her Doc Martens.

"Your father could use some help unloading the car!" Helen's voice rang out again, this time from the bottom of the stairs.

"You'll have to go out the window. I'll keep my mom up here so she doesn't see you in the backyard." Luke rushed over to the window and began opening it so Grace could escape. "Go around to the side of the house and wait for my dad to finish unpacking the car. Then you can make a break for home."

"Sounds like a plan Girardi. I'll make a criminal master-mind of you yet." Swinging one leg out the window, Grace grabbed Luke by the shirtfront and pulled him close "Love you." The words still felt unfamiliar in her mouth, but she had no doubt she could get very accustomed to saying them. Kissing her quickly, but with great feeling, Luke smiled at her, "Love you too."

"Luke?" Helen called as she knocked on the door. "Aren't you up yet?" The door began to open.

Grace practically jumped the rest of the way out of the window, grabbing onto the drainpipe for dear life. As she quickly, but carefully began to descend, she heard Luke say in an overly cheery voice, "Mom! Glad you're back! How was your trip?"

As she hit the ground, Grace glanced quickly at the kitchen windows that looked onto the backyard. No one was in there, so she figured she hadn't been seen. Turning to go around the side of the house, she heard sounds of movement behind her. Glancing back, she was treated to the sight of Adam Rove as he dropped from the side of the house with a wet thud. Looking above his head, Grace could see that he must have been coming out of one of the second story windows. Joan's window.

"Grace?" Adam called in a shocked whisper. "What are you..." His voice trailed off as they both stared silently at each other for a few moments. Recovering from her shock and embarrassment a bit quicker than him, Grace motioned for Adam to follow her to the side of the house.

Crouching as close as she could to the house, Grace took stock of their situation. They were basically safe for the time being. The only window on this side was Kevin's and they weren't in its sight line. From the front of the house she could hear Mr. Girardi having a conversation with someone she didn't know, but from what was being said she guessed it was a neighbour. They wouldn't be going anywhere while he was still outside. Relaxing slightly, she turned her attention to Adam. He was breathing a bit heavily and his normally spacey demeanour was replaced by a look of fear.

"How long do you think he'll stay out there?" he asked, motioning to the front of the house.

"Not sure." she answered, "but..." Grace checked her words when she saw Adam staring at her in an odd way, "What?"

"Your bra is sticking out of your pocket, yo." Try as he might, Adam couldn't prevent a juvenile smirk from crossing his face. "What were you up to?"

"Don't ask Rove, unless you want to explain why your pants are on inside-out?" Grace took no small amount of pleasure at the blush that rose in Adam's cheeks. "Oh man!" Adam moaned, covering his eyes with hand, "If Jane's dad catches us we are so dead!"

"Well, "said Grace, deciding to have a bit of fun with him, "You maybe, I'll probably come out okay."

"What do you mean? You were obviously doing something you shouldn't have with his son while they were away!"

"Exactly," commented Grace with an evil smile, "his _son_. In this instance, the fascist double-standard of our patriarchal society will work in my favour. I have a feeling Mr. Girardi will take the 'boys will be boys' attitude with Luke. In his eyes, all I did was help his son 'become a man'. " Grace laughed sarcastically. "You, on the other hand, de-virginized his only daughter. You are a smarmy punk who wormed his way into his baby girl's panties, probably through lies and trickery. See the difference?"

Adam's eyes had grown huge as Grace had explained her take on the situation. "He's going to shoot me, yo! This is so not cool!"

"Actually," said Grace, deciding to push her joke a little further, "As a policeman, he'll probably just frame you for something and have you arrested. You're a sweet and sensitive young man." Putting her hand on his shoulder she made sure Adam was looking at her, "Do you know what they do to sweet and sensitive boys in the 'Big House' Rove?"

By this point Adam looked as if he was going to be sick. Panicked, he started to move forward, "I gotta get out of here!" Grabbing him, Grace held him in place. "Mr. Girardi is still out there. You run now, and he'll see." Adam sat back against the wall, starting to relax "Unless of course you want to spend the next few years playing hard-to-get at the prison dance." Grace smiled to herself as Adam placed his head in his hands and gave a low moan.

She usually wouldn't torture her friend like this, but she felt kind of embarrassed that he had caught her coming out of Luke's bedroom. Making him suffer a bit made her feel slightly more in control of the situation.

The pair sat there by the side of the house for a few more moments until Mr. Girardi said his farewells to the neighbour and they heard the front door close.

"All clear." said Adam, eager to be making his escape, "I think we can..." Adam's next word was cut off by the sound of Kevin's window opening. A small handbag was tossed out the window onto the grass. It was followed by a young woman whom neither of the two teenagers had every seen. Taking a quick look around, she stopped short when she saw Grace and Luke. Giving them a weak little wave, she bolted to the corner of the house and disappeared around the front. Taking that as their cue as well, Grace and Adam followed her and carefully but quickly made their way passed the Girardi house and down the street.

The two friends walked in an embarrassed yet companionable silence for some minutes before Grace finally decided something had to be said. "Alright Rove, here's the deal: we never speak of this again. Not to each other and definitely not to Luke and Joan." Relieved that he wouldn't have to talk about any of it, Adam nodded, "Unchallenged." They walked on for a few more minutes, until they came to the turnoff for Adam's house.

"See you at school." Grace said, as she continued to walk on.

"Monday, yo" Adam answered. She had gotten only a few steps when he called out to her, "Grace, you know that girl's handbag? Were there...um.."

"...pantyhose sticking out of it? Yes. She also had a couple of hickeys on her neck." Grace smiled at him as he laughed.

"If the Girardis knew what their kids get up to, they'd never take another vacation again!" Adam continued laughing as he walked off.

Moving towards home, Grace thought about what would greet her when she got to her house. The rabbi would definitely be home by now, with numerous questions about where she had been and what she'd been doing. If her mother was awake, she'd have her own questions as well as a bad temper made worse by her hangover. It was not going to be a pleasant morning and the unpleasantness would probably last well into the evening. Still, she couldn't help but smile as she made her way across the park.

Reaching into her jacket pocket, Grace brought out the picture of her and Luke from his birthday. She'd grabbed it this morning as she was hurriedly trying to get dressed. Looking at the picture of the two of them, Grace forgot about everything else. She didn't worry about her father's questions or her mother's drunken insults. Holding the photo in her hand, all Grace could think of was the fact that she loved Luke and that he loved her.

Putting the photo back in her pocket, Grace picked up her pace. "Let them say what they want, think what they want...I have a geek that loves me. That's all that matters."

FIN

**A/N:** Well, I knew it had to end and this seemed like the best place. I hope you liked it. Thanks to everyone for their feedback!


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